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Talent Chimutambgi
Herald Reporter
A child-headed family in Mbare is appealing for legal assistance to rescind the clandestine sale of their family home by an uncle.
Elton Alimanzi, who has been responsible for his three siblings, Leonah, Lindah and Eddie, since the death of their parents a decade ago, said they only got to know that their house had been sold when they got an eviction order.
The sale was brokered by Mr Godfrey Alimanzi, a brother to their deceased father.
Elton said they were only saved from eviction following the intervention of Zanu PF shadow Member of Parliament for Southerton Constituency, Cde Andrew Makahamadze, who instructed his lawyer Define Maruta Tafirei of Tafirei and Company Legal Practitioners to challenge the eviction order.
“We were served with an eviction order about a fortnight ago. We were told that the house now belonged to Mr Crispen Muzombe, a local business person. That is when we got hold of Cde Makahamadze who asked his lawyer to stop the eviction,” he said.
He said his uncle had connived with some council officials to change the ownership of the house even though the issue was still pending at the courts.
“I’m appealing for legal assistance. Our uncle wants us to be evicted from our home. We grew up here. Our uncle has not assisted us in any way since our parents passed on,” said Elton.
The Herald spoke to Alimanzi’s neighbours who all narrated how the family suffered without any assistance from their relatives which led to Linda eloping to escape hardships at home.
Mrs Viola Chivenge, an elderly neighbour said it was cruel for the uncle to sell his brother’s house and leave his children homeless while he keeps his own house.
Another neighbour Mr Alois Kembo said Alimanzi’s uncle had a property in Waterfalls where he lives with his family insisting that the actions were inhumane.
“Elton has been a mother and father to his siblings for the past 10 years, making sure that they are fed and clothed. Now you hear someone, who has his own property and is supposed to be a father figure, wants to evict vulnerable orphans. Such actions are inhuman,” said Mrs Chivenge.
Other residents who spoke on condition of anonymity alleged that the major culprit was Ephas Utete, who is into the business of buying properties in Mbare and is believed to be the owner of 15 properties that are at various stages of development.
They said Mr Utete was in the process of buying houses in the suburb and razing them to the ground and constructing completely new structures.
The residents said that they were now living in fear of eviction since he is targeting properties whose owners are deceased.
Contacted for comment, Mr Elphas Utete did not say much but promised to meet this reporter later.
Cde Makahamadze said council was heartless for not considering the welfare of orphans adding that this was in breach of President Mnangagwa’s pledge that the Second Republic will leave no one or no place behind.
“They are targeting properties which were left by deceased owners and the children are vulnerable and can not afford a lawyer to represent them to protect their properties,” said Cde Makahamadze.
“Analysing the issue from a distance, one could see that the Harare City Council was robbing residents at gunpoint. This is contrary to the clarion call of our President Cde Mnangagwa who embraces everyone despite their social and political status,” said Cde Makahamadze.
This is not the first time that Cde Makahamadze has come to the rescue of residents in his constituency.
He was engaged in a legal battle while trying to block the developments at Bexley Circle and Gilway in Southerton, which were reserved for recreational facilities after the city fathers connived with purported land barons to create residential stands.
Online Reporter